Just another WordPress.com weblog

The Prince stared at Elanor. Words fought in his throat, he pushed them aside, more surged forth.

“What did you do?”

“What it takes to keep us alive.”

“You mean what it takes to keep you alive?”

“Same difference.”

“He’ll most likely die of that.”

“I plan on it.” At that, her windpipe was rather unceremoniously cut off by Namid’s hand around her throat. With her silence, the Prince updated them all on the situation.

“All right, from the top. Irian’s poisoned, most likely dying, and he’s going to fight that monster. If he’s to have a chance to do anything, we have to stop it before he wastes all his strength on the creature. I’m pretty sure if you saw him you realize that’s not any stimulant that we would ever approve. There’s been …other… agendas at work here. Once this is handled, we can deal with those. Elanor, I’m going to tell Namid to release you. When she does, if you try a single thing that isn’t one hundred percent in favor of stopping the Basilisk and saving Irian, what happened to the twins will look absolutely tantalizing compared to what I will personally do to you.” He gripped his weapon tighter.

“Namid, let the traitor go.”

She coughed. “How did Irian know?”

The Prince smiled, a grim line across his face, bereft of any mirth. “I’m not sure. His abilities are incredible. He may have scented a pheromone trace, or more likely he simply didn’t trust you anyway. Your charms don’t work on someone who’s never known companionship. When his parents died, we sent him to Sanctuary. We didn’t know the damage to him had already been done. Nobody came to claim him. His intelligence made him hated, his strength made him feared. When you kissed him, it wouldn’t surprise me to think he really did think you were after his soul-after all, we do smell rather strongly of aether.”

The assembled group was uncomfortable. Thor was sitting on the ground, holding the remains of chakram and whip. There was clearly unfinished business between he and the twins. Elanor still had trouble breathing. Namid calmly turned around, collapsed to her knees, and began retching. The Prince stepped over to hold her hair back.

“We’ll get him back. If it’s the last thing I do.”

“But why? Why would she do this?”

“When this is all over, you deserve an explanation. We don’t have time now. Are you able to fight?”